


My Love For You

by SophiaBoo



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 12:18:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16095521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaBoo/pseuds/SophiaBoo
Summary: Hammered at a wedding party + in love = let's talk about that (?)





	My Love For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lovelyrhink (crimsonwinter)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonwinter/gifts).



> I wouldn't be here posting another rhink one-shot if it wasn't for the lovely fandom we have. So a big thanks for the love and encouragement and yes, again, they are single in this because that's just how I roll.

"How do I look?" asked the tallest one, index fingers pointing in both directions.

"I've already seen you, remember? You sent a picture last night. And you were making the same stupid pose."

"But you never replied, man!"

"I did! I said you looked like a goof."

Rhett McLaughlin frowned. "No, you didn't."

"Oh… Well, I posted a screenshot on Twitter."

"Of course. That was too much energy spent to even remember replying to your friend," Rhett retorted poignantly, stroking his beard and taking another look in the mirror.

Link Neal stepped forward and observed his own reflection next to Rhett. He thought his gray hair made him look older, but people were apparently digging that. He smiled to himself for a few moments, fixing his tie, and then his eyes shifted up to those concerned brows above those green eyes.

"Come on, don't be a baby 'bout it. You look good. You could lose the shoes, though." He clapped his friend's back once, and then his hand lingered for a few moments before he moved it away.

Rhett seemed not to have listened to Link's remark on the shoes and smiled to himself, finally moving away from the mirror. He seemed to be having an inner battle for a few moments, and then, his expression turned gloomy.

"Remind me what I'm doing tonight, please?"

Link sighed and sat down on his usual armchair. "Long lost LA cousin is getting remarried, needed a plus one. End of story."

"We have quite a few friends who are dying to date the freshly single  _glassesed_  hottie—"

"I assume that would be me."

"What?" Rhett seemed exasperated.

"Me, I'm the freshly single  _glassesed_  hottie."

The blond looked left and right, searching for invisible help. "Who else, if not you?"

"Then say it." Link flashed his white teeth at Rhett.

"I'm not playing this game."

"What a party-pooper." Link rested his head back on the chair and stared blankly at the ceiling. "What are you so mad about, anyway?"

Rhett tried to sound calm. "I'm saying you could be taking virtually anyone else tonight. Why me?"

There was a pause.

"Well, I thought I would have more fun with you, I guess."

_Fun._

"Okay… Sure. I don't doubt that. But how is it gonna look?"

Link's eyes searched for Rhett across the room and looked at him in disbelief.

"Have you been talking to your dad or  _som'thin_?"

Rhett grimaced. "No. Just—Never mind… Forget I ever brought it up, okay? Forget it."

"Okay,  _bro_ ," Link replied. Just before storming out of their office, Rhett caught a glimpse of a sardonic smile on his friend's face.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

"Link!" the stunning bride pressed a kiss on his cheek, beaming. "I can't believe I'm wearing the highest of shoes and I still have to stand on tiptoes to give you a smooch. What did aunt Sue feed you with,  _cous_? Seriously."

"I'm guessing it was all that pudding," Link smiled back.

"And  _I'm_ guessing this is your Rhett, huh? Sorry, honey, you'll have to hunch a bit for this one."

"Hi," Rhett presented his bearded face at a much more convenient level and Link caught his weirded-out expression. He didn't need to ask what was causing it, really. His cousin's choice of words hadn't passed him by, either, but in Link's case they had been the cause of some mild blushing.

Rhett's mind was spinning wildly enough without the need for booze, and still he made his way to the bar before Link's cousin could conjure any more remarks about them.

"Evening," the bald smiley barman said, eyeing all his length with curiosity.

"Hi," was all Rhett was apparently able to reply with that night. "Uh… a margarita, I guess."

"Did you order my gin and tonic?" Link startled him, appearing out of thin air. Or not so much, but Rhett's mind was elsewhere.

"You order it yourself," snapped back the taller one.

Link's eyebrows flew up in surprise. "What's the matter with you, man? Been acting up all day."

"Give me a break." Rhett avoided Link's eyes.

"From what?!"

"I don't know."

"Margarita," announced the bald guy and Link could've noticed him checking Rhett's ass as he walked away if it wasn't for the fact that his eyes were glued to his friend, filled with confusion.

"Okay, fine!" He shook his head negatively and still ordered a gin tonic. "Can you believe him?" he asked the barman, pointing back with his thumb.

"Whatever that was, I guess you won't get laid tonight, buddy," the man replied with a grin. "Have another glass, this one's on me."

"No, we— Uh… Whatever." He downed the first one in a matter of two minutes and then accepted the pity-second-glass.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

Rhett needed air. Yes, air and a margarita would cool him down. Good thing he'd gotten a big-ass glass without even specifying. But he ought to be careful. He couldn't down it in a few gulps or he would be too tipsy to measure his words. And words needed to be measured. Specially tonight.

Before he knew it, he'd left the crowd and the loud music behind and found himself outside on a beautiful balcony. Perfect. No more noise, no more people. Did that make him an old man?

Who was he kidding? He  _was_  an old man.

'But where are your white hairs, dude?' Link had told him once. 'Still, whatever age I am, you'll always be eight months older.' Rhett smiled to himself as he leaned forward on the railing. He contemplated the gardens in front of him and sighed.

His margarita was halfway empty by the time he'd jumped to a possibly rushed conclusion. What an idiot. Link could very well be with any other person and still have a good time, as evidenced by the fact that when Rhett turned around, the brunet was inside, barely a few feet away from the mass of guests, having a heated conversation with a blond, green-eyed chick.

He didn't need him. His newfound bachelor status definitely showed; his confidence preceding him. It wouldn't have surprised Rhett to see him take a girl home after the wedding. What was surprising to Rhett at the moment was just how badly his stomach would turn at the thought of that.

What was wrong with him? He was supposed to be the calm and collected one of the two. He couldn't allow himself to behave like this. Getting mad and shouting at him for no apparent reason, choosing a suit with him in mind, shivering at the soft touch of his hand on his shoulder, blushing at someone implying they were together… In his mind, all those things were the sheer definition of the quintessential schoolgirl with a crush.

_Oh._

"Always thought balconies at parties should have a  _Busy_ sign or something."

Rhett turned, smiling. Link was apparently not expecting a smile; he frowned.

"Well, I didn't notice you'd come out so you could've, you know, gone back in as soon as you saw me."

Link bit his tongue. Was it safe? Looked like it. So he kept walking towards Rhett until he reached him. "I actually wanted a talk."

" _A_ talk? Or just to talk?" inquired Rhett, who leaned forward and faced the gardens again, trying to seem casual.

"Same thing, I guess," replied Link, leaning on the railing as well, but on his back.

Rhett looked down at him. "You seemed pretty chatty in there. Was she nice?"

This caught Link off guard. Still, he replied confidently: "She was, yeah. I have her number."

"Now you're being cocky."

"Why?" Link laughed.

"Well, I didn't ask that!"

"Yes, Rhett. She was  _very_ nice. Also had a nice pair of—"

"Okay, that's enough now."

"—eyes." Link smirked cheekily.

"You're an idiot," Rhett snapped, but smiled back nonetheless.

"I might be. But out of the two, who did actually get a number? Think about it."

"I didn't want one, anyway."

Link blinked a couple times at his friend. He seemed to be trying to choose his words carefully. When he finally spoke, his voice was faint.

"You know, I really thought you were gonna marry her."

Rhett lowered his head, defeated. "Do we need to talk about this now?"

"I'm sorry, I think it was never really clear to me. And you're my friend… My best friend."

"I guess I was a bit unsure, that's all."

Link shook his head, skeptic, and gave him an openmouthed smile. "Unsure of  _what_?!"

"Everything. I'm too tall, too slim. I don't even have a chin!"

"Are you being funny now? 'Cause that just sounds hilarious to me."

"I'm being dead serious."

"Rhett… You could get a girl or two, let's just say that."

"I don't know what that even means."

"A nice girl, with a cardigan..."

"Stop."

Link sounded playful. He was gesturing with his hands cheerfully, most likely not knowing what he was causing. He continued: "Someone who shares your tastes, maybe? Who is into country music and Lionel Richie and likes camping!"

"You mean you?" Rhett's own heart skipped a beat as he said the words. They escaped from his mouth and he couldn't catch them in time. He closed his eyes.

No reply came from Link, so Rhett opened them once more, eager.

The brunet was looking up at him with an almost innocent expression and a mildly gaped mouth.

Rhett sighed and positioned himself in front of Link, framing him between himself and the railing. "You can be quite oblivious sometimes," he told him. He extended a hand to his face and saw the anticipation in Link's blue eyes. Using his free hand (his half-margarita forgotten in the other) he then proceeded to remove his glasses in the gentlest of ways.

Link offered no complains, and his breathing became shallow. Rhett was looking for a reaction, though, and after a few seconds, his friend's eyebrows raised as if formulating a question.

_A schoolgirl crush, huh?_

No, that was in  _his_  mind.

_What now?_

More like it.

But he didn't know the answer to that, so with a racing heart he simply kept staring at him, smelling the familiar scent of him, swimming into the beautiful pool of those blue eyes. Madly in love.

When his own green eyes shifted down and stopped short at the full pink lips, his stomach twitched. They were probably the answer to the  _what now_ , but his brain would not function anymore.

This short circuit lapsus gave Link enough time to snap back to reality, it seemed. His eyebrows went down again, his cheeky smile returned, and he suggested with a smug tone: "Let's get a drink."

Rhett blinked, confused, and looked at his left hand. "I already have a drink."

"Well, now you don't," Link said, picking up his glass and downing it. "There." The bearded one made a face and allowed himself to be carried back inside by the arm.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

Once they got to the bar, the barman gave them both a sneaky look. Still, he handed them the two scotches Link had ordered in a matter of seconds.

Half a margarita was enough for Rhett to almost jump all the way in. The thought scared him, he couldn't—

"Drink up, Rhett."

"Dang. Okay. No dinking and sinking?" said Rhett, raising his glass.

"Sure, why not?" Link lifted his own and locked eyes with his friend. "To long-lasting relationships," he snorted, and Rhett appreciated the sarcastic tone.

"Oh, ya, absolutely." They clicked their glasses together and took big gulps.

"I'm not being entirely sarcastic, you know," added Link, as though he'd read Rhett's mind. "I mean, we  _did_ meet more than thirty years ago, and counting."

"We did," said Rhett, looking down with a smirk.

"We're not your typical thirty-plus-year relationship, but if I'm honest… I don't remember  _her_  ever taking my glasses off that casually."

Rhett looked up and back down at his own hand. His heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly returned the pair of glasses back to their smiley owner.

"Thank you…"

"I suppose I'm special, then," Rhett concluded, scratching the back of his head.

Link rewarded him with a chuckle. "You are."

He expected that to be followed by a joke, but it wasn't.

They locked eyes again, even as Link downed what was left of his scotch.

_No. Shit. No._

Numb. It was up to Link to save things again.

"We'll need a pint to wash these down, don't you think?"

"More than one if you want me to join you next."

"What d'you mean?"

Link's answer came as his cousin walked towards them with open arms and a silly wide smile, mic in hand.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

The lyrics to Merle Haggard's "My Love For You" weren't really that hard, or even long, but they no doubt would become a challenge when you were as drunk as Rhett and Link were already starting to get. They would giggle at random times, mock the other every time a particularly horrible note would be sung, and of course, there was all the arm grabbing.

On the back of Rhett's mind, this was merely to stabilize themselves, to keep themselves and the other from falling offstage dramatically or tripping awkwardly on their own feet.

Of course.

_My love is growing like a weed in garden  
My love for you will die when all these weeds no longer grow_

Link addressed his audience with confidence. His voice was loud and rough, but he hit the lowest notes gracefully, in Rhett's opinion. The taller one was so absorbed that when it was his turn to sing, he was fashionably late, and Link was quick to point it out.

"Come on, McLaughlin, you're like an asthmatic snail!"

Rhett then made sure to turn and sing the lyrics facing his friend and locking eyes with him. Was that a punishment to Link or to himself? He didn't know at the moment.

_I've tried every way I know to tell you  
But words don't seem to say what I want them to_

Link had an expression Rhett couldn't remember ever seeing on him. He looked confused, and then curious and then… As the last instrumental bit played, the brunet took his suit jacket off and rolled his sleeves up, biting his lips and wiping off the sweat on his forehead with his arm. The song ended before Rhett had time to recover from how sexy that had been.

_Shit._

They were offstage in a matter of seconds and Rhett was fascinated to see Link head straight to the bar, once again. They could still walk in straight lines and look around without feeling too dizzy, so they were…

"… fine. Perfect. Just need a drink to cool myself down. Isn't it hot in here? I'm burning."

"Uh…" was all Rhett could mutter at that point, still amazed at the sight of his sweaty friend and his damned white dress shirt.

"Drink up, Rhett!" he repeated, eyes dreamy.

Rhett obeyed.

Link motioned him to go and search for somewhere to sit. Rhett was quick to choose an already abandoned clothed table next to the big speakers.

"It's too freaking loud here!" shouted Link, as if it was something that needed to be pointed out.

"Nah, come on, Neal, sit down."

Link obeyed.

"Well, I'm here," he said, batting his lashes at Rhett.

"I'm tired of you, you know?"

Link gestured at his sweaty body and mouthed a ' _me?'._

"Yes, you. You're always so…"

This time a single eyebrow flew up. "I'm listening."

Rhett gulped more of his beer. "You can be so annoyingly handsome." The glassesed man laughed out loud. Rhett frowned as his friend hugged himself and rolled on his chair. "What's so fucking funny, man?"

"I'm sorry! You never said something like that to me."

"Well, there are some things you need to be drunk to say."

"You don't look drunk to me, baby," Link leaned forward clumsily and narrowed his eyes at Rhett. "You seem pretty sober to me!"

"Yeah, just as sober as you. I can tell we're both already slurring. And don't call me  _baby._  Come on..."

"Why not?"

"Not helping."

Link tilted his head sideways. "No, but seriously… I don't-"

"Not pet names allowed."

Link still seemed to find the whole thing terribly amusing, much to Rhett's annoyance, so the blond decided to be better at hints. He leaned forward as well until their noses were only inches away. Link's smile dropped. Rhett's hand rested on the other's knee, hesitant at first, but then slowly started caressing with a thumb. Gently, very gently. Link suddenly let out all the air he was holding in and Rhett got a whiff of all the alcohol that had led them there.

A few inches closer, why not? Link's nose was soft and sweaty. They were eskimo-kissing lightly in no time, and seeing Link's eyes close gave Rhett the courage to go all the way. But he didn't.

As he and Link separated, the blond prided himself on just how needy he'd left his buddy. His baby blues were starting to disappear as a result of his pupils dilating, and his hand ghosted on the spot on his leg Rhett had just caressed seconds ago.

"What was that?" he finally asked, weakly.

"That,  _baby,_ was all your fault," said Rhett, downing his beer in a few more gulps. Link observed with wide eyes.

"Wanna dance?" It was a suggestion Rhett wasn't really expecting, but also one he couldn't refuse.

 

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

 

As they mingled in the crowd, they struggled to find a spot in which they could move freely, but the guests were too tipsy at this point (not as much as them, though). It was hot, and they seemed forced to share the space they had for themselves, so in no time Link was covered in new sweat.

They didn't even know what they were dancing to, or if they were even dancing at all, but Rhett was certainly sure Link's locks needed urgent help. He ran his fingers through his best friend's hair just as confidently as he would with his own, moving it away from his gorgeous face.

"There you are," he told him. Link smiled up. "You're sweating like a pig, though."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Looks good."

"You think?" he gave Rhett a smoldering look and they were in college again.

"Oh, yes," Rhett replied in a deep voice. Link felt himself shiver. Even more so after the large hands grabbed his tiny waist firmly.

The brunet's smirk fainted again and he looked up with piercing eyes.

Was that stern look a confirmation it was okay to touch? 'Cause Rhett wanted to. He wanted to, badly.

His hands caressed the wide shoulders and neck and went desperately back down to his hips; they were like magnets. Link turned his back on him and leaned his head back on his big chest, swinging his hips and placing his own hands on Rhett's, making the taller once embrace him in an almost hug. Rhett saw the chance and he took it, rubbing his beard on the nape of Link's neck and being rewarded with a hum he was happy to have caught. He pushed forward, moving his hands up to Link's chest and just  _feeling._ Sloppy kisses were at some point being planted on necks, and one of Link's hands was rubbing at Rhett's beard intensely; he'd been wanting to do that for some time, and it became clear.

As much as Rhett was enjoying the whole thing, he started to desperately crave for something else, but for that he needed Link to face him again.

"I want to kiss you now," he informed his friend by whispering into his ear. Link's brain went dazed for a few seconds before turning back around and grabbing Rhett's face fiercely, large hands fitting perfectly on either side. Rhett only had enough time to take a quick breath before Link closed the distance and kissed him hard.

Rhett wanted to bite, and he did. He entertained himself long enough biting and sucking on Link's lower lip, before the other claimed for control. Rhett gave in and felt a tongue slide into his own mouth almost instantly, just as the pair of hands on his beard started stroking it again.

When the blond finally gathered enough strength to use his hands, he untucked that damned dress shirt from the black pants and made way for his hands to slide into and explore as much as he could.

They could've easily been thrown out of the party, but luckily, they had time to know each other a bit more before they remembered where they were and separated. Not entirely, though, as Link's left hand still caressed that majestic beard with one thumb, and Rhett's hands were now again glued to those hips.

"Forgive me for being corny, but—"

"Please don't ruin it," Rhett begged, and he relished in the laughter he got from a still-drunk Link.

"I mean… I have the right, as your plus one, but I won't."

"Go ahead," Rhett encouraged him, stroking whatever skin he could feel at hip-level.

"Earlier today, in a total douche mode, you asked me why you, remember?"

"Vaguely," he smiled.

"You jerk."

"So… why me, Link?"

"Well, I guess I just wanted to get drunk with you. Don't know. Still trying to figure it out."

"Okay, that's fair… I, on the other hand—" Rhett tripped and clutched hold Link's arm. Once they were done laughing, he continued. "I forgot what I—"

"You were telling me how much you like me," helped Link.

"Ah, yes, that. I like you a lot," he said, pulling Link in by his tie and planting two sloppy and sensual kisses on his left cheek, then a third, then a fourth, moving his way down to his neck.

His friend giggled. "I sorta knew when you told me you wanted to kiss me. Also, thanks for asking sooo nicely."

"Won't happen again."

Link narrowed his eyes. "I hope you mean you won't ask nicely next time."

Rhett laughed louder than he should have and kissed the tip of Link's nose.


End file.
